The present invention relates to a signal processing unit, and is applicable to a news program producing broadcasting system for example.
Heretofore, there is one constructed as shown in FIG. 1 an example of news program producing and broadcasting system in a broadcasting station.
In the news program producing and broadcasting system 1 having the above structure, a first and a second audio video (AV) servers 2 and 3 for recording and reproducing audio video (AV) data to/from a hard-disk drive (HDD) formed in array, plural editing devices 4A to 4N, a system control part 5 for controlling the entire system 1, and a data memory unit 6 in which various data is stored are connected to each other via a network 7. Then, not-compressed/lowly-compressed video audio data D1A to D1N transferred from the scene of gathering materials via a transmission line or reproduced from a material tape is supplied to the first AV server 2 via plural systems.
At this time, the first AV server 2 takes in video audio data D1 (D1A to D1N) specified by control of the system control part 5 from the supplied video audio data D1A to D1N simultaneously in the plural systems, filing the video data D1, and stores it to a specified address position of a recording/reproducing part.
Then, video audio data D1 of each file stored in this first AV server 2 can be simultaneously read out from the above first AV server 2 using the editing devices 4A to 4N respectively, and video images based on thus read-out video audio data D1 can be monitor-displayed in the editing devices 4A to 4N.
Furthermore, the operator can form a list for prescribing an editing executing sequence reading how the video audio data D1 is processed and edited to form a news video for broadcasting (hereinafter, this is referred to as EDL (edit decision list)) while viewing and confirming the monitor-displayed video images in the editing devices 4A to 4N, register the above formed EDL in the editing devices 4A to 4N and execute this.
Practically, the editing devices 4A to 4N read out necessary video audio data D1, process and edit this based on the EDL, and transmit video audio data D2A to D2N obtained by this editing processing to a second server 3 by controlling the first AV server 2 when in executing the EDL.
At this time, the second AV server 3 sequentially takes in the edited video audio data D2A to D2N by the control of the system control part 5, files this, and stores it to a specified address position in the recording/reproducing part.
Then, the video audio data D2A to D2N held in this second AV server 3 are reproduced and extended at a demanded time by the control of the system control part 5, and transmitted to an external on-air system (which is not shown in FIG.) and broadcasted via the above on-air system based on management information in the data memory unit 6.
In this manner, in this news program producing and broadcasting system 1, the video audio data D1A to D1N obtained by covering can be edited into desired states and broadcasted at a predetermined time.
Here, the AV server 2 of the news program producing and broadcasting system 1 is limited in recording capacity. Thus, the video audio data D1 stored in the AV server 2 (hereinafter, this is referred to as news material) is transmitted to the recording unit 8 by an operation by the user, and stored in portable recording media (removable media) 9. Then, the news material already recorded to the above recording media 9 left in the AV server 2 are deleted, so that the AV server 2 limited in capacity is effectively utilized.
By the way, since the news material recorded in the recording media 9 and made to be savable is deleted on the AV server 2, in the case where the above news material is used, the recording media 9 are needed to be reproduced by predetermined reproducing devices.
In this case, the recording media 9 are accommodated in a predetermined rack or the like along with plural recording media, and it is needed to be searched from the above rack and loaded into the reproducing device. Thus, the processing procedure, such that a problems and a time for preparing reproducing noticeably increase, is largely different from the case of reproducing a news material stored in the AV server 2, and it causes a problem that an operational efficiency lowers for the entire news program producing and broadcasting system.
As one method to solve this problem, a method for storing mass news materials by increasing the recording capacity of the AV server 2 is considered. However, according to this method, a configuration of the AV server 2 which is formed by a fixed disk device having an accurate structure becomes more complicated, and it causes a problem that its cost becomes noticeably high, therefore, it is insufficient as a solution.
Considering the above points, the present invention provides a video signal processing unit having a simple structure, promptly usable news material, and capable of realizing to share a news material file commonly used in each program.
To solve the above problems, a video processing unit according to the present invention, in a signal processing unit having a high-compression system processing means for highly compressing signals including video signals and saving them and a low-compression system processing means for not compressing or lowly compressing the signals including the video signals and saving them, comprises a first memory means for storing the signal including the video signal and a second memory means for storing the signal including the video signal having a lower using frequency than the first memory means.
Furthermore, in a video signal processing unit according to the present invention, in a signal processing unit having a high-compression processing means for highly compressing input signals including video signals and processing them and a low-compression processing means for not compressing or lowly compressing the input signals including the video signals and processing them, the high-compression processing means has a first memory means for storing the signal including the highly-compressed video signal and a list forming means for editing the signal stored in the first memory means and forming a list showing an executing sequence of the edited signal, and the low-compression processing means has a second memory means for storing the signal including not-compressed and lowly-compressed video signal, a list executing means for outputting the signal stored in the second memory mean based on the list formed by the list forming means and a third memory means for storing the signal outputted from the list executing means, and the low-compression processing means further has a fourth memory means for storing the signal stored in the second memory means according to the using frequency of the signal stored in the second memory means, and the signal stored in the third memory means is outputted.
According to the present invention, in a signal processing unit having a high-compression system processing means for highly compressing signals including video signals and saving them and a low-compression system processing means for not compressing or lowly compressing the signals including the video signals and saving them, the low-compression system processing means is provided with a first memory means for storing the signal including the video signal and a second memory means for storing the signal including the video signal having a lower using frequency than the first memory means. The storage capacity can be increased for the entire low-compression system memory means including the first memory means and the second memory means without increasing the storage capacity of the first memory means for storing the signal including the video signal having a high using frequency. Thus, an access to the first memory means for storing the signal including the video signal having a high using frequency can be facilitated.